Brian Quinn (comedian)

Brian Michael "Q" Quinn (born March 14, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, and producer born in Brooklyn, but his family moved to Staten Island before he was 2 years old. He is a member of The Tenderloins, a comedy troupe also consisting of Sal Vulcano, Joe Gatto, and James Murray. Along with the other members of The Tenderloins, he stars in the television series Impractical Jokers, which premiered on December 15, 2011 on TruTV.

Brian Quinn
Quinn in 2010
Born
Brian Michael Quinn

(1976-03-14) March 14, 1976
Brooklyn, New York City
Alma materBrooklyn College
OccupationStand-up comedian, actor
Years active1998–present

Early life

Quinn was born on March 14, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York but moved to Staten Island, New York before he was two years old. He is of Irish and Italian ancestry. Quinn attended Monsignor Farrell High School. Along with Murray, Vulcano, and Gatto, he was a member of his high school's Improvisation Club.[1][2] He studied at Brooklyn College before joining New York City Fire Department where he served for eight years.[3][4]

Career

Early career

Despite not being an initial member of his friends' comedy troupe The Tenderloins, after one of the original members, Mike Boccio, left the group in 2006, Quinn became the troupe's fourth member.[5]

The Tenderloins began producing comedy sketches together, posting them on YouTube, Myspace, and Metacafe, accumulating millions of views online. In 2007, the troupe won the $100,000 grand prize in the NBC It's Your Show competition for the sketch "Time Thugs".[6]

Impractical Jokers and other television shows

Impractical Jokers premiered on December 15, 2011 on TruTV. The first season was watched by over 32 million viewers. The show quickly became the most popular series on TruTV and has boosted Quinn into the public eye.

In 2019, Quinn, along with the other members of The Tenderloins, starred in The Misery Index, which is hosted by Jameela Jamil and is based on Andy Breckman's card game "Shit Happens".[7]

Impractical Jokers: The Movie was released on February 21, 2020.

The Tenderloins Podcast

The group began hosting a podcast in April 2012. It is available on their official website and iTunes.

What Say You?

What Say You?, an occasional podcast hosted by Sal Vulcano and Quinn, was named Best New Show at the 2013 Stitcher Awards.[8] The increased popularity of What Say You sparked a friendly competition among the comedians, spurring Joe Gatto and James Murray to release their own Tenderloins podcast without the other two members. In 2015, What Say You? was nominated for the Comedy, Entertainment, and Best Produced Podcast Awards at the 10th Annual Podcast Awards. Vulcano and Quinn have stated that the podcast is their own side project, not a replacement of The Tenderloins Podcast.[9] The group explained that it was difficult to coordinate the schedules of all four members outside of work, making it challenging to produce their troupe's official podcast with any regularity.

Tell 'Em Steve-Dave

Q is also a part of the podcast Tell 'Em Steve-Dave!, which he co-hosts with Bryan Johnson and Walt Flanagan. The podcast started in February 2010 with Quinn in the role of the off-mic audio engineer, then shortly after as occasional commentator and ultimately co-host.

Personal life

Quinn suffers from arachnophobia.[10] He has 3 cats, named Benjamin, Brooklyn, and Chessie. Along with that, he has a tattoo that says, “38. Lives alone. Has 3 cats” from the result of a triple punishment on Impractical Jokers. Quinn suffers from depression and has been very open about his struggles throughout the years.[11]

While taking a trip to Germany in 2009, Quinn was arrested for disorderly conduct while visiting the Oktoberfest. An assailant punched him in the face, knocking his tooth out. Quinn was escorted back to the United States by German police and was bailed out by his Tenderloins troupe members.[12]

Since his time on Impractical Jokers, Quinn has donated $50,000 to the New York City Fire Department and he occasionally meets with his former coworkers.[13]

In 2019, Quinn revived the Rubsam & Horrmann Brewing Company on Staten Island.[14]

On January 31, 2021, Quinn confirmed via his Twitter account that he had tested positive for COVID-19 amid its pandemic in the United States.[15]

References
  1. "Impractical Jokers' success is rooted in a deeper vulnerability". The Buffalo News. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  2. Hanson-Firestone, Dana (December 3, 2019). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Brian Quinn". TVOvermind. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  3. "No Joke: How Fireman-Turned-Comedian Brian Quinn Tapped into the Brewery Business on Staten Island". Fortune. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  4. "Impractical Jokers' success is rooted in a deeper vulnerability". The Buffalo News. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  5. "About The Guys". The Official Website of The Tenderloins. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  6. "About". The Tenderloins. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  7. "The Misery Index". tbs.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  8. "What Say You?". stitcher.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  9. "What Say You?". stitcher.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  10. "Impractical Joker Brian "Q" Quinn's Tarantula Terror". Tattoodo. October 19, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  11. "Impractical Jokers' success is rooted in a deeper vulnerability". The Buffalo News. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  12. Quinn, Brian Q. (April 11, 2015). "Last time I was in Germany I was beaten up and arrested. So, yes. Don't know when though". @bqquinn. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  13. "Q donates $50K: FDNY, not 'Jokers,' is proudest moment". silive. October 21, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  14. Bailey-Millado, Rob (August 20, 2019). "'Impractical Jokers' star is serious about reviving Staten Island beer". New York Post. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  15. @BQQuinn (January 31, 2021). "Coronavirus" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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